If you have certain disabilities then some day to day activities can be pretty hard to do. Shopping, in particular, can be quite a challenge. Wheelchair accessibility can be poor, communication with shopkeepers can be limited for the Deaf, searching shelves a barrier to the blind.

There are delivery services run by supermarkets that allow you to shop for your groceries online for delivery to your home. There are delivery services that operate out of warehouses and deliver you their groceries to your door. But now there is a Ordrs, who will go to the shops you want to shop at, do your shopping and bring it to your door.

“Shops that you want to shop at” is a broad term. But, Ordrs will in addition to doing your shopping at Tesco, Aldi and Iceland, also go to specialist stores such as Ameen who specialise in a range of ethnic food such as plantain, okra, yam, gari etc.

A central core of high ethical values lies at the heart of Ordrs, linked to a hard-working and positive business attitude.

“It all started with values!” Davidson

It is important that people feel that Ordrs can be relied on and trusted to take care of such an important activity in peoples lives. Meeting with Davidson certainly gives us that impression. His energy and dedication make us think that Ordrs will strive to improve, do better and go further.

Appa’s managing director Imran met with Davidson from Ordrs and talked to him about his business and how it may help our Deaf and Disabled clients.

You studied Electronic Engineering at University and now you’re running a small independent business in an entirely different field. How did you go from a potentially safe, stable and in-demand career as an electronics engineer to the risky and unpredictable world of business ownership?

Engineering is very structured compared to the chaotic business world but there are things which I have learnt that I can apply. For example, entrepreneurship is all about solving problems; You solve problems for your customers, you solve problems within the team.

I’d say problem-solving is one of my greatest skills which has been enhanced through studying it at university. Coming from the engineering world does have its pros and cons but it is all about understanding and improving yourself.

What did you learn when you ran your business tests at the University of York?

Whilst studying at the University of York, a few of my friends trialled Ordrs via text message and I carried out their shopping. The initial idea was to provide same-day delivery for any item on the high street. I allowed them to order anything they wanted and everybody ended up ordering groceries, which is what I am now focused on

I learnt the importance of keeping your customers in the loop, whilst carrying out grocery shopping – for example notifying them that certain products weren’t in stock was highly valued. It is key to put your customers’ needs first!

How long has Ordrs been running?

I launched at the end of 2018, however, things really began to pick up after I launched my website in May 2019.

The concept of Ordrs is on the face of it simple and obvious, but pretty unique. What was the moment of inspiration for that idea?

I started off by being fascinated by next day delivery. It wasn’t always the norm, in the past, I was used to waiting for 3 – 5 days for products to be delivered to me. Then I began researching same-day delivery and saw that there was more that could be done. I interviewed a few of my friends and then came up with the idea to carry out same-day delivery from the high street.

After I launched, I really struggled to get things off the ground – so I spent hours on the road handing out flyers and talking to people and saw that there was a buzz for same-day delivery for groceries so I focused on it. I am constantly iterating and improving, the journey has been all about learning.

Developing, growing and adapting our business model has been crucial to Appa, what are the next major upgrades planned you have planned for Ordrs?

Towards the end of 2019, I managed to get my first Ordr rider on board so I am carrying out less deliveries myself. Now I will be focusing more on growing the business. My goals are huge for 2020, a lot of my customers struggle to get around and have mobility issues. I will be focusing more on supporting people who find it difficult to get around and I am looking to grow a solid team of friendly Ordr riders to expand throughout Lewisham.

Without a doubt, there is a large demand for this, and given our current ageing population, this need will increase. I expect people will eventually start to imitate Ordrs. What is your attitude to the future as you prepare to be more and more noticed?

Is there that one little thing you wish you had right now to take your business to the next stage?

I would like to partner with a greater range of multicultural independent stores and embrace the diversity of the local community which is what makes Lewisham such an amazing borough.

It’s been great chatting to you Davidson, thank you for stopping by at Appa.

Check out Ordrs website. Ordrs is currently operating in the following London area;